flippin'eck for sale

driver510 · 14-04-2006, 07:49 PM

i see john bakers flippin'eck is for sale looks in a sorry state now

driver510 · 14-04-2006, 07:55 PM

link http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ORIGINAL28-FT-...Item:hugegrin:

RossM · 14-04-2006, 09:07 PM

link

Mike Lloyd · 19-04-2006, 08:46 PM

Just had a look at John Bakers old Flying Flipper on ebay. Still looks the same with the same decals. Raced with John on this boat for the 1989 season with the twin Johnsons, very fidgety boat but great fun. Used to hook left now and again without warning which could be a bit startling! For those who remember John he is now very seriously ill but holding his own, just.

Tony Davis · 19-04-2006, 09:01 PM

I like the motor details, £25k if purchased new....obviously doesn't know that it was discontinued years ago!!!!

Jon Fuller · 19-04-2006, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by OldMan
For those who remember John he is now very seriously ill but holding his own, just.

I haven't seen or heard a thing of John Baker since the class II worlds of (I think) 1990 in Poole bay.
Didn't realise he was ill, that's very sad, what is wrong with him?

Mike Lloyd · 20-04-2006, 08:48 AM

John and Sue hit rock bottom in 1992, financially and I mean rock bottom, the God's haven't been kind to them that's for sure but they have managed to get back to a reasonable situation as they are both fighters until the big 'C' hit him late last year. John is an old mate and I have been keeping in close touch so I went to see him in March and had the shock of my life as he looked so bad. Talked to him last night and he is having all the usual stuff from the Hospital and starting to gain a little weight again but is still feeling rough as you can expect. The prognosis is not good. He's really pleased to know that his old boat is still around as although we didn't win any races in it we had an awful lot of fun. Told me to pass on his best regards to all his old friends.

BluFin · 20-04-2006, 09:14 AM

There is some pics of it in action on URL
http://media.boatmad.com/gallery/v/m...obaad.wmv.html

Jon Fuller · 20-04-2006, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by OldMan
John and Sue hit rock bottom in 1992, financially and I mean rock bottom, the God's haven't been kind to them that's for sure but they have managed to get back to a reasonable situation as they are both fighters until the big 'C' hit him late last year. John is an old mate and I have been keeping in close touch so I went to see him in March and had the shock of my life as he looked so bad. Talked to him last night and he is having all the usual stuff from the Hospital and starting to gain a little weight again but is still feeling rough as you can expect. The prognosis is not good. He's really pleased to know that his old boat is still around as although we didn't win any races in it we had an awful lot of fun. Told me to pass on his best regards to all his old friends.

That's really very sad indeed. John wouldn't know me by name, but of course we all new him back then, especially when he turned up with the US1-38, in those outrageous colours.

I think that Dupont Kevlar Cougar ended up getting cut about to build a large rib, or some other Cougar project. PJC would be able to shed some light on it.

Please send him our best wishes.

I wonder if Dredge knows John is unwell?

Mike Lloyd · 20-04-2006, 02:11 PM

Thanks BluFin for the video. I will copy that and let John see it, he will like that. With regard to the Cougar 38ft I could write a really interesting article on the consequences of John buying and racing that boat and the eventual repercussions but then again that's history and perhaps it's not wise to stir muddy waters. It was a great boat though the engines were awful (burnt oil at an alarming rate) and cost John the Class 11 worlds in the last race at Poole.

Mike Lloyd · 21-04-2006, 05:50 PM

For anyone who's interested this is what "flippin 'eck" looked like racing in Southampton water.

Jon Fuller · 21-04-2006, 06:59 PM

I'm slightly confused as usual.

This is obviously a different 'Flippin Eck' to the one that John Baker sold to Alan Webb, as his became, and I think still is, 'Flippin Shytalk', so clearly not the one pictured in a barn for sale at present.

he also had (Alan Webb that is) a single sterndrive version of the Flipper. then there was the late Dick Martingales Flipper, 'Obsession'. how may feckin Flying Flippers were there over here?

Jon Fuller · 21-04-2006, 07:04 PM

There's a picture of Alans Flipper, as 'Flippin Shytalk' at the start of this thread:

http://www.boatmad.com/forum/showthr...hlight=flipper

Mike Lloyd · 21-04-2006, 08:11 PM

O.K. I seem to be getting into long histories here. John Baker first had the hard top Flipper with twin OMC's as mentioned earlier and that was the first flippin 'eck, I then bought it off him when he purchased the first red flipper called "flippin 'eck" fitted with twin 200hp Yammy's which won everything in cruiser class B in 1987. He then went slightly barmy and purchased another flipper which he had fitted with twin Johnson 300hp V 8's - as in the picture - and entered that in class 11 in 1989 and also called that "flippin 'eck" So now he had two flippers which he took to Guernsey and entered both in the worlds!! One in cruiser class B and the other in class 11. Hectic times! The next year of course he lost it completely, and admits to that, and bought the Cougar 38. Fortunately he was about to sell the other two boats. Hope that makes things clear. How many other stories like that though are there out there from other competitors?